Retiring western area leader honored by Dairy Farmers of America

Parrish retires after 24 years of service to the dairy industry

April 1, 2009

Kansas City, Mo. - Dave Parrish received a Service Award in honor of 24 years with Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. (DFA) and predecessor cooperatives during the Cooperative’s 11th Annual Meeting, held March 24-25 in Kansas City. The Maricopa, Ariz., resident recently retired after 10 years as chief operating officer of DFA’s Western Area.

“When you talk about DFA’s footprint in the Western Area, you’d be remiss to not mention the name Dave Parrish,” said Tom Camerlo, chairman of DFA’s Board of Directors. “His experience, never-ending enthusiasm and optimism for the dairy industry are inspirational.”

Mid-America Dairymen (Mid-Am) grew in California under Parrish’s leadership. He moved to California in 1993 and as vice president of the California Group of Mid-Am, he worked to assemble a group of strong, independent cooperatives into a single presence under Mid-Am. Later, those Mid-Am members were integral in the formation of DFA.
Prior to joining Mid-Am in 1985 as vice president of administration and member relations, Parrish was general manager and chief executive officer of Valley Lea Dairies, Inc. in South Bend, Ind.